


The Legacy of the Big Three

by Takara_Phoenix



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Dual Identities, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Maria di Angelo is Persephone, Multi, Mutual Pining, Paul Blofis is Poseidon, Polyamory, Sally Jackson is Amphitrite, Sally is short for Salacia, Slash, Thalia Jason and Piper are siblings, Threesome - M/M/M, Triton is a good brother, muuuch later also smut, so tags will follow accordingly, superhero high school, the gods are superheroes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-07
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-03-08 22:40:09
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 17,915
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27434440
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Takara_Phoenix/pseuds/Takara_Phoenix
Summary: Twenty-five years ago, the Olympians, led by the so-called Big Three, were the greatest group of superheroes in the world. One by one, they retired. There were still heroes, but there had not been a huge threat in many years.Now, the sons of the Big Three train at a school for heroes to be.Jason grew up under the pressure of being the son of Zeus, both from the public and from his father.Nico grew up knowing who his father was, but no one outside their family knows he is the son of Hades.And Percy? He has no idea he's the son of Poseidon.
Relationships: Nico di Angelo/Jason Grace/Percy Jackson, look inside for side-pairings
Comments: 79
Kudos: 416





	1. The End of the Golden Era of Heroes

PJatO || Jercico || PJatO || Jercico || The Legacy of the Big Three || Jercico || PJatO || Jercico || PJatO

Title: The Legacy of the Big Three – Heroes of the Next Generation

Fandom: Percy Jackson and the Olympians / Heroes of Olympus

Disclaimer: All rights reserved to Rick Riordan. Aside from the Gods, they belong to the old Greeks. This fanfiction and its OCs on the other hand are entirely mine. No money is made with this, though reviews are more than welcomed.

Tags: polyamory (m/m/m), superpowers/superheroes, hurt/comfort, fluff, mutual pining, explicit intercourse, anal, oral, double penetration, m/m, f/f, m/f

Main Pairing: Nico/Jason/Percy

Side Pairings: Reyna/Annabeth, Piper/Hazel, Frank/Leo, Octavian/Luke, Ethan/Alabaster, Jake/Will, Charles/Silena, Chris/Clarisse, Malcolm/Katie, Grover/Juniper, Bryce/Drew, Paul/Sally | Poseidon/Amphitrite, Hades/Maria | Hades/Persephone, Tristan/Beryl, Zeus/Hera, Howard/Hecate

Percy Jackson Characters: Perseus Jackson, Nico di Angelo, Jason Grace, Thalia Grace, Bianca di Angelo, Hazel Levesque, Piper McLean, Leo Valdez, Grover Underwood, Annabeth Chase, Reyna Avila Ramírez-Arellano, Frank Zhang, Luke Castellan, Ethan Nakamura, Alabaster C. Torrington, Lou Ellen Blackstone, Cecil Markowitz, Will Solace, Charles Beckendorf, Silena Beauregard, Clarisse la Rue, Chris Rodriguez,Travis Stoll, Connor Stoll, Jake Mason, Malcolm Pace, Katie Gardner, Miranda Gardner, Nyssa Barrera, Kayla Knowles, Zoe Nightshade, Octavian, Drew Tanaka, Bryce Lawrence, Mike Kahale, Lacy, Mitchell, Juniper, Rachel Elizabeth Dare, Ella, Tyson, Sally Jackson, Paul Blofis, Maria di Angelo, Tristan McLean, Beryl Grace, Esperanza Valdez, Howard Claymore, Small Bob, Mrs. O'Leary, Argentum, Aurum, Festus, Arion, Blackjack, Tempest

Gods: Zerberus, Hades, Persephone, Triton, Poseidon, Amphitrite, Zeus, Hera, Hecate, Chiron

Summary: Twenty-five years ago, the Olympians, led by the so-called Big Three, were the greatest group of superheroes in the world. One by one, they retired. There were still heroes, but there had not been a huge threat in many years. Now, the sons of the Big Three train at a school for heroes to be. Jason grew up under the pressure of being the son of Zeus, both from the public and from his father. Nico grew up knowing who his father was, but no one outside their family knows he is the son of Hades. And Percy? He has no idea he's the son of Poseidon.

**The Legacy of the Big Three**

_Heroes of the Next Generation_

_Chapter 1: The End of the Golden Era of Heroes_

_/Twenty-Five Years Ago...\_

They didn't know it yet, but one day, this time was going to be known as the Golden Age of Heroes. They also didn't know yet that they would become the prime example of what a superhero was. No, they were still young, bright-eyed and filled to the brim with enthusiasm and excitement.

Hades, Poseidon and Zeus – already known as the Big Three, a moniker they had earned from the press. Only a few years ago, they had been solo acts. Poseidon had protected New York, Zeus came from San Francisco and Hades had been a shadowy urban whisper in Los Angeles. What had been vigilantism against small-time criminals grew with the rise of supervillains.

And when the villains started to band together, forming the so-called League of Titans, the heroes knew they had to work together too. All three of them had made a name for themselves at that point and them coming together, it had been a truly historic moment. The Big Three.

They gathered other strong heroes and formed a group known as the Olympian Council. Twelve of the strongest heroes of the United States – Zeus, Hades, Poseidon, Demeter, Artemis, Apollo, Hephaestus, Ares, Athena, Dionysus, Hermes and Aphrodite. Side by side, they fought against the League of Titans – and won. The Big Three, Zeus first and foremost, took down Kronos.

World-fame was theirs. And so was a proper headquarters. They took over the Empire State Building, their own Olympus, where the heroes could meet and plan. Even without the League of Titans, the teamwork was beneficial for everyone involved. Backup for a tougher enemy, exchange of information, someone to take over if one hero was hurt or occupied. And with that, the Olympian Council gained more members, smaller heroes, newer heroes. The US and the Olympian Council became a worldwide respected example of heroism.

"Let us celebrate today's victory, brothers!", declared Zeus, laughing loudly.

He had one arm wound around Poseidon's neck, the other around Hades'. Out of the three, Zeus was the most muscular, physically the strongest. His dark hair was combed back and his electric-blue eyes sparkling with the joy of victory. He had a handsome face, a face that had enchanted many over the years he had been a public figure now. His white skin-tight suit with the large golden lightning bolt on his chest and the golden cape made him look more royal than ridiculous, despite the color-scheme treading the line. Since the forming of the Olympian Council, he had become the team's leader and the true All-American Hero. Poseidon was taller than Zeus, but he had the lean musculature of a swimmer, not a boxer. His hair was longer and wavy. his eyes a brilliant sea-green. A different kind but no less of a teen-heart-throb. His suit was different colors of blue – dark and light, in beautiful patterns and he wielded a trident, his signature weapon. The last one was Hades, who radiated goth energy, his pitch-black eyes intense at every gaze and his dark curls softly hanging into them. He wore all black and his power to pull the shadows around him had helped him stay out of the public eye for many years. Some found him frightening, others were enchanted by his mysterious aura and certain bad boy charm.

The three of them could not be more different in personality, and yet they worked well together. Perhaps because they were so different. They complimented each other, even in powers. Zeus ruled the sky – controlling the weather – while Poseidon ruled the ocean – he had hydrokinetic powers – and Hades could control darkness itself and had necromantic powers; he could control the dead like puppets. They wielded such great power that, so far, there was no force able to overwhelm them.

"I'm not drinking with you, Zeus", sighed Hades exhausted, trying to dodge out of the embrace.

"You're so _boring_ , Hades", groaned Zeus. "I'm glad Dionysus joined. He knows how to party!"

"I don't think Hades is boring, I think Hades has... other things on his mind", noted Poseidon.

He cracked a mischievous grin as he spotted the object of Hades' affection. They were walking the halls of Olympus, on their way to a debriefing. There, down the hall, stood Persephone – one of the newer additions to Olympus. She was beautiful, her green skin-tight suit with the dark-green skirt complimenting her figure, her long, dark curls cascading down over her back as she was... watering the plans. She loved plants; controlling them and communicating with them was her power.

"Wait. You like Demeter's girl?", asked Zeus stunned. "I mean, she's pretty, but... damn."

Persephone was Demeter's newest sidekick and Demeter was _fiercely_ protective of her, like a daughter, which was why Hades had been keeping his distance so far. Hades frowned and averted his eyes, his cheeks red in embarrassment at being caught like this by Zeus and Poseidon.

"You should go talk to her", whispered Poseidon softly. "Me and Zeus will distract Demeter."

"We will?", asked Zeus doubtfully. "She's kind of mean."

"I'll pay the tab when we go to the pub later", offered Poseidon.

Immediately, Zeus laughed and wrapped an arm around Poseidon once more. "We will!"

Hades just glared at them. "No, don't-"

But with a wave of his hand, Zeus summoned a gust of wind that pushed Hades up against Persephone, causing both heroes to stumble a little. Thankfully, Hades managed to catch her in his arms before she could fall. She pressed her hands against his chest, staring startled.

"Has Aphrodite been rubbing off on you, mate?", asked Zeus curiously. "Such a matchmaker."

"The only one she's _rubbed off on_ is Ares", muttered Poseidon amused. "What can I say, the engagement has made me... soft for love. You should try it too, you know. Settling down."

"And break the hearts of _countless_ women and men?", huffed Zeus offended. "I could never!"

Poseidon snorted and shook his head at that. Zeus liked his flings, he liked his fame and how it brought him a different person to warm his bed every night. Hades, he had never shown interest in someone before. And Poseidon, oh, he had given his heart away two years ago to the woman he knew to be the love of his life. A mermaid he had met at the shore while fighting off a tsunami. She was – she was _special_. A literal princess, Princess Salacia, daughter of the king and queen of their sea. And she held powers, the same hydrokinesis as Poseidon. He had never met anyone else with the same power as him before. Mermaids, they were special yes, but they didn't have special powers like those. She was, just like him, a mutant – only of a different world. The two of them had started teaming up with each other, more and more, until she came to join him. Leaving the ocean behind to explore the human world. She took on the hero-alias Amphitrite, to honor the fishes she guarded (part of her special mutation; she could communicate with all sea-creatures).

Life was good. Poseidon couldn't imagine life to be any better than this. Him and his brothers by anything but blood led the greatest team of superheroes, he had a beautiful fiance with whom he fought side by side proudly. The dynamic duo of the sea, they were called. Life was perfect.

/Five Years Later\

"The world needs me!" His voice was booming, echoing through the apartment. He looked worn down, the fighting spirit his words may suggest didn't show on his face. The sky outside their apartment lit up as the storm raged on.

"No", his wife whispered softly, shaking her head. "The world needed Poseidon once upon a time. All the big villains are defeated. There is no fight left."

"There is _always_ a fight left!", argued Poseidon angrily.

"What? Do you want to chase down purse-snatchers and rescue kittens? There are new heroes, _younger_ heroes. It's time for a new generation. The world doesn't need you anymore. I talked to Persephone, her and Hades are thinking about retiring too, you know."

He looked up, surprised. He knew she was still close to Persephone, despite having hung up her own cape nearly two years ago. The thought made him swallow hard. Him and Hades, they've been through a lot together. They were like brothers. Them and Zeus, the Big Three. Did the world truly not need them anymore? Did the age of heroes… just end?

"I'm not saying this to be cruel, my love", whispered his wife. "The world didn't need Amphitrite anymore either. Look at me. I retired, but the world moves on. _We_ inspired new, young and hopeful heroes and they're slowly taking our places on Olympus and in the papers."

Thunder accompanied the lightning this time, the whole apartment bright for the blink of an eye. The thunder was followed by screaming and crying. Poseidon watched his wife leave the hall.

No more Amphitrite. Once upon a time, they were the aquatic duo – what a golden couple of superheroes. Poseidon and Amphitrite. And then she retired. No more Amphitrite, only Salacia Jackson, candy-shop owner, wife and young mother.

"The world may not need Poseidon, but… _we_ need _you_ ", whispered Sally. "It was different, when it was just you and me. You and me against villains. Fighting, side by side, throwing ourselves into danger and coming back together. Now, you leave… without me. And I hold my breath, wondering if you'll return to us."

She came back into the hall, carrying the crying and hiccuping toddler. Immediately, Poseidon softened at the sight of his son. Messy, soft black hair on his little head, those rosy chubby cheeks and the eyes. The boy had his father's eyes, sea-green like the entire ocean was trapped in them.

"What do you say?", he asked as he took the toddler from his wife. "No more Poseidon? Only Paul Blofis, high school teacher, husband and… father?"

The baby stopped crying and yelped as he grabbed for his father's face. He reached an arm out to pull his wife close against himself. The age of heroes didn't end, but _their_ time as heroes would be over. Young heroes would take over from hereon out and all all Poseidon… no, Paul… would do was… be a regular guy, with a job and a wife and a hopefully growing family.

/Two Years Later\

Maria di Angelo hummed to herself as she ate breakfast. Everything tasted oddly different these days. And what she was particularly craving was licorice. Today, she was eating buttered toast with licorice and it made her happy, despite the disgruntled and disturbed look on her husband's face.

"It's what _your daughter_ is craving. I am simply the food-delivery system", pointed Maria out.

She rested a hand on her prominent stomach and the look eased off his face. Smiling softly, Maria waved her fingers in swirling patterns through the air and the potted flowers at the center of the table bloomed. There were never cut flowers in the di Angelo home, only grown, living ones. Even though Maria may not take up the name Persephone anymore and had hung up the cape when she and Hades had gotten married, she would never deny her powers and her connection to nature.

"You're awfully engrossed in the newspaper", noted Maria after a moment.

His glare had returned as he was staring at the newspaper intensely. Frowning, Hades looked up once more, searching his wife's eyes before he turned the paper around and pointed at the article.

"Look at that. He's holding that child up like a priced possession", huffed Hades, shaking his head.

Maria hummed softly as she read the headline. _Zeus presents firstborn heir – Thalia_. She sighed.

"There's a reason Amphitrite retired when she got pregnant", said Maria. "To _protect_ the child."

"Exactly!", exclaimed Hades, slapping his flat palm against the desk. "He's just parading the baby around, even announcing her name. Her and her mother are all over the news. This child will be targeted by _every_ villain we ever put away!"

Maria's eyes softened as she reached out to grasp her husband's hand, linking their fingers. After Amphitrite had retired, Maria had started thinking about it too. Their era had ended, they had come together to defeat the League of Titans and they did and for years after, they still fought villains. Smaller villains. And they grew older, they started... settling down. Poseidon and Amphitrite had their first child, Hades and Persephone got married. Persephone's mentor Demeter had already retired, had passed the mantle on to her so she could live a domestic life with her husband and children too. And Persephone thought that maybe, it was time for them to retire too. More and more of the Olympians stepped down, more and more new heroes came to be, with their own villains to fight. Maria knew she didn't want to raise their potential family in the spotlight.

"It's... his decision, his family", whispered Maria gently. "We can not... control that. All we can do is protect our own, mi amore. We'll keep our daughter safe, together."

"Yes. Yes, we will", agreed Hades with gentle eyes. "Did you consider the name I suggested?"

"We are not naming our daughter Melinoe", huffed Maria, laughing softly.

"Well then, my love, what do you suggest?", asked Hades with the smallest pout.

"Bianca, after my aunt", declared Maria. "What do you think?"

"Bianca di Angelo? I like the sound of that", hummed Hades, nodding to himself.

/Two Years Later\

Paul was rushing into the hospital, his son pressed against his chest as he nearly ran a nurse over. He was in a hurry! He had to get to his wife. He was completely out of breath as he rounded the corner and entered the hospital room, where Sally was laying, resting.

"You're late", complained Sally with a glower, before cracking a smile. "Come meet your son."

"I'm right here, mommy", argued the little one in Paul's arms.

"His other son", corrected Sally fondly. " _Your_ brother. Come here."

"No, thank you", hummed her son, shaking his head. "I don't need one."

"Son, you... will have to get used to him. He's here to stay", chuckled Paul.

He sat down at the edge of Sally's bed, with their older son perched up on his lap. The boy frowned and leaned in, poking the baby's cheek curiously, repeatedly, making his parents smile amused.

"Triton, meet your brother Perseus", introduced Sally, her voice soft.

"That's a stupid name", complained Triton with a pout, still poking.

"That's not very nice", grunted Paul. "We picked that name together."

"Still stupid", declared Triton. "I'll call you... Percy."

The baby blinked his big, green eyes at Triton, not understanding a word, but Triton looked very pleased by his choice, nodding to himself. Sally and Paul exchanged a fond look at that. Paul leaned down to kiss his wife softly before kissing the baby's chubby little cheek.

"He is absolutely perfect, Sally", whispered Paul in awe. "My little Perseus."

"Percy!", exclaimed Triton with a pout.

Paul laughed at that, his eyes sparkling as he looked at his family. He hadn't been Poseidon in what felt like an eternity – but a part of him would always be Poseidon, even if he didn't go out there fighting the good fight anymore. He was Poseidon. Every time he saw the news, saw a disaster or a hostage situation or read about a new villain... His instinct was to put on the mask and the cape. But then he saw it unfold in the news, saw the new heroes – heroes, by now, that he had never actually met in person even – and they... they did their jobs, effectively.

He would always miss it. He'd always miss the excitement, the rush of adrenaline, the satisfaction when he would save someone's life. Even the camaraderie with the other Olympians. It was a special bond, one that would always tie them together, despite those who had died, those who had retired by choice and those who had been forced to retire. And, well, those who still went out.

Many of the younger heroes from his time were still active, some who had started out as sidekicks back then had taken over their mentors' mantles. And then there was Zeus, who still went out there himself, sure the world still needed him. And it did, in a way. He was... more than just a hero, he was a _symbol_ – the symbol of America's freedom. The leader of the Olympians, even if nearly all other members had changed by now. He was getting gray around the temples, he didn't charge head-first into any danger, he led, but even he was aware that many years of heroism were getting to him physically. One day, he was going to have to retire too and Paul wondered what would become of him then. Paul had always had a life, even outside of being a hero. He had been Paul Blofis, school teacher. And then he met Salacia and he became a boyfriend, a fiance, a _husband_.

Hades too. Paul knew his secret identity, he knew the man was a billionaire, owner of a very famous record-label. It would never cease to amaze Paul, the way the man had juggled the billionaire life with the life of one of America's – no, the world's – greatest heroes. After retirement, Hades – well, Aiden di Angelo (though, Paul smiled, the man had never quite liked his name and always preferred to go by Hades) – could fully focus on his business and his new wife. He had gotten married to Persephone and, if Paul wasn't fully mistaken, they were currently expecting their second child too. Sally was still in contact with Persephone occasionally. Paul, he tried to stay away. For one, because of the temptation – the yearning that thinking about his old hero-life brought with it – and for another for safety reasons. The more time they spent together in their civil identities, the easier it would be for people to figure out their secret. And Sally and Paul, they had agreed to never reveal their secret – not even to their children. Triton and Percy would grow up as normal, happy children.


	2. The Very Little Big Three

_Chapter 2: The Very Little Big Three_

Percy Jackson was a happy child. He was bright-eyed, his smiles lit up the entire room. He liked to play hero, which always made his dad make a weird, proud sound. Percy would tie his blue blanket around his neck and pretend to be a great hero, saving the damsel in distress.

Granted, his best friend Annabeth wasn't very cooperative, because she kept saying that women didn't have to be damsels for men to save. Which made Percy pout and roll his eyes. At least his other best friend, Grover, was willing to play the damsel in distress that the dynamic duo of Percy and Annabeth could save together. That was very nice. And so they would play for hours, fighting imaginary villains, saving the world from things their imagination created.

And after a long, exhausting afternoon of fighting villains, they would collapse on the couch in the Jackson-Blofis home and eat cookies Sally made. Because Sally made the best cookies on the planet. After all, she _did_ own the greatest candy-shop/bakery in all of New York! And no, Percy was totally not biased. After school, he would go to his mom's store and sit with her, do his homework.

His dad used to read him comics as bedtime stories, nowadays he was old enough to read them himself. Comics about the superheroes of the Golden Age. Percy's total favorite was definitely Hades – which was something that always made his dad pout, weirdly enough. Paul always tried to make Percy like Poseidon the most – _Look! He can breath under water and talk to dolphins! That's cool, you like water, wouldn't you want to control it_? And sure, far as mutant-powers went, that was a pretty cool power. But Percy's favorite was still Hades, because look, Hades had a giant, three-headed puppy-dog, who was large enough so Hades could ride him into battle. And how could anything possibly beat giant, ride-able dog? It couldn't. Besides, Percy always thought that the love-story was way more interesting too. Poseidon and Amphitrite were both water-based superheroes, they met, fell in love, got together, were happy. And they were a badass team, sure, but the story was boring. Hades and Persephone were far more interesting to read! Her, the side-kick and then legacy of Demeter, a superhero who had always edged on with Hades. The accusations of manipulation, the near battle between the Olympians. Also the opposite powers were _so cool_. Hades could control the dead – real, super creepy skeleton armies – and Persephone brought life – controlling plants, especially flowers; it got her the nickname Spring Queen.

"One day", declared Percy seriously. "One day, I'll be the leader of the New Olympians."

He was laying sprawled out on the grass in the backyard, head to head to head with Grover and Annabeth, all three children staring up into the sky, spinning tales about the clouds above. The blonde girl huffed and shook her head, before tilting it enough to look at him.

"The Olympian council was disbanded five years ago", pointed Annabeth out.

Percy huffed and sat up to look at her properly. "Well, _duh_. That's why I said _New_ Olympians! I'm gonna form a new council and we're gonna be the New Olympians. You two, me and... nine others. We're just gonna find those nine others first. And grow older. And taller."

"Taller is a good idea for you", agreed Annabeth, straightening up some.

She grinned broadly at Percy, who immediately pouted. He was a few inches shorter than Annabeth, but he was _sure_ that he was going to hit a growth-spurt at one point! His big brother Triton was tall!

"Percy, we don't even know _if_ we have powers. Or what they are if we do", argued Grover worried. "We can't do this if we don't have any powers!"

"I mean, we definitely can", disagreed Percy seriously. "Dad and mom control water. So does Tri. So it's like... really very likely that I will control water too."

He was _very_ optimistic about this. Dad could control water and water-control was _really_ not a rare power – vague elemental control was the most basic of mutations. Both his parents used to play funny little tricks with the bath-water when Percy had been smaller. Triton's powers had started manifesting a little while ago too. But he was also four years older than Percy, so he figured he still had some time to develop his own powers. And they _would_ manifest. He just knew it.

"You're gonna be a whole lotta trouble", declared Annabeth with a sigh as she collapsed backward onto the ground again, eyes on the clouds once more. "You're gonna need me on your team, to keep you alive and stuff. And organized."

"I definitely need the both of you on my team", agreed Percy determined.

The Olympians were _the_ greatest team of superheroes ever. They had come together when great villains had teamed up to attack the United States – it wasn't just one villain and this group wasn't just local to one city or one state, so it needed a different approach from the heroes too. But after they were defeated, slowly, the Olympians became obsolete. The twelve original Olympians started to retire one by one and while there had been _many_ additions – during the war and after peace had come – the original line-up had been nearly completely retired and the bonds that had held them together were no longer there. There was no need for a states-wide network of superheroes, not to that extend anyway. No headquarters for regular meetings was needed anymore, because they all had their own villains to fight in their own cities and states; why waste time on coming over for regular debriefings on issues that didn't concern them. Many states had their local superhero teams, but many superheroes also preferred to work solo (or solo heroes with sidekicks who didn't have hero status). And sure, they had city-wide, or state-wide, fame. But _nobody_ in like Paris had _ever_ heard of whatever hero protected, like, Chicago or something. There were way too many cities in the US, the world didn't care – heck, the rest of the US didn't really care beyond their own state-borders. But the Olympians! _Everyone_ had adored them, had _believed_ in them, been _inspired_ by them. They made people feel safe, they were beloved by all of the US, they had been their nation's big representative superhero group, respected all over the world. Percy knew they had even networked with over great superhero groups from other countries.

Percy wanted that back. He wanted that networking, that trust, that teamwork. He wanted to restore the glory of the Golden Age, a team worthy to be cherished by children just like Percy and his friends, who would inspire the next generation of heroes one day just like Hades and Poseidon and the others had inspired Percy and his friends. One day, Percy believed it firmly. One day.

/break\

Nico's dad was _the_ most embarrassing. All of the embarrassing dad jokes, all of the _super_ embarrassing PDA from his mom and dad, who always kissed and stuff. His dad also worked _a lot_. He worked so much, running a record-label. When he was little, he always pouted about that. He knew his dad loved them all a lot and he did make time for them, every Sunday, they had a family day. With board-games and family dinner and talking about their past week.

Particularly in recent weeks, Nico had grown to appreciate that, and his father, even more.

He stood awkwardly in the doorway, shuffling on his feet as he watched his little cousin. Hazel was about a year younger than Nico. The two of them hadn't met too often before, because Hazel's family lived in New Orleans while Nico's lived in New York – well, and Nico's dad often flew to Los Angeles for work, for days at a time. Over the summer, they had occasionally visited New Orleans, but not _every_ summer because mamma was from Italy so they spent every second summer in their mother's home-country, living in their summer-home in Venice. And, of course, Christmas. Sometimes, the di Angelos would host it, sometimes, the Levesques would.

But it wasn't _much_. They weren't neighbors, they hadn't grown up with each other.

All of that changed now, because Nico's uncle was dead. Nico's uncle was dead and his aunt, she had died a few years ago already during an Earthquake. So now Hazel was all alone. And Hades and Maria took her in, as her only living relatives. Hazel's and Nico's fathers were identical twins, they used to fight crime side by side, Nico knew the stories, admired the stories. But then Hades had joined the Olympians and Pluto, well, Pluto didn't – and the two grew more apart.

Yes, Nico knew the truth, the _whole_ truth. His papà and his mamma had never made their identities a secret. Well, they had waited to tell Nico until he was old enough not to just immediately babble everything out. But they never hid their past, they explained everything in words a child could understand. Their powers, how they had become heroes and why they had retired.

Pluto hadn't retired. He kept pushing himself, even after his wife's death – maybe even more then, because she had been another innocent he couldn't save. But especially after Marie Levesque's death, their daughter needed him even more. And now she had... no one.

Not no one. She had Nico and his family now. It was just... different. As wonderful as Hades and Persephone were, they were Hazel's aunt and uncle. They couldn't replace the parents Hazel lost. And Nico, well, he was lost about what to _do_. How... How did one comfort another kid who had lost their parents? What could he _say_? There was nothing to say. I'm sorry? What for, it wasn't his fault? I feel bad for you? She had already had enough pity. Everything was going to be alright? No. It wasn't, why lie to her – he couldn't bring her parents back from the dead.

"Hey", whispered Nico after a while of awkward lingering.

"H... Hello, cousin", greeted Hazel, voice wavering from having cried.

"I have chocolate", offered Nico, holding out a bar of his favorite chocolate. "Want some?"

She wiggled her nose, looked ready to shake her head, but then she caught the scent. After a moment, she nodded reluctantly. Smiling at her, Nico approached and unwrapped the chocolate. When he sat down next to her, he held the bar out for her to break a piece off for herself. She munched it slowly, letting it melt on her tongue. The two of them were sitting by the window, overseeing the huge garden behind the house. It was a breathtaking garden – that came from the lady of the house being the Spring Queen. So many flowers, in all the colors imaginable.

"I love auntie Maria's flowers", whispered Hazel softly. "They're pretty."

"Mh, they are", agreed Nico, unsure what else to say.

He was fidgeting, wondering what to do next. Thankfully, that was when Bianca entered the room. She was wearing her riding gear, leather boots, silly hat and all. He had learned not to make vocal fun of her for it; she could kick really well. Hazel perked up a bit in interest at her outfit.

"Hey. So... mom and I... we're gonna go on a ride. And we were wondering if maybe, you wanna come along, Hazel? Do you remember Arion, the foal you met last Christmas?"

"He was pretty", confirmed the little girl, nodding.

Bianca smiled at that. "He grew a lot since then. You wanna see him again?"

Despite not really _doing_ horses, Nico also got up and followed his sister and cousin outside and toward the stables. Last summer, one of his mother's horses had had a foal and when for Christmas, the Levesques had come over, Hazel had been _completely_ enamored with Arion. Nico feared disappointment now though, because the horse had a nasty personality and didn't really like people. He was in for a surprise when his little cousin ran up to Arion, yelling 'horsie' and getting to hug him with no complaints. Even Bianca and Maria looked startled.

"Sweetie, you can't just run at a horse like that!", warned Maria as she gently picked Hazel up to remove her from the horse. "Always approach them _slowly_ so you won't startle them. You wouldn't like strangers running up to you and hugging you either, would you?"

"Mh... no, auntie Maria", hummed Hazel, shaking her head. "Sorry, horsie, I got excited."

"Good idea, sis", whispered Nico to his sister while watching.

"Animals can help. Humans always try to... talk. And it gets awkward. Like it got for you there", replied Bianca with a knowing grin. "But Arion, he'll keep her company and distract her."

Nico nodded in agreement, pleased. He didn't want Hazel to be sad, he wanted to help her. See her smile again. He hoped he would be able to help somehow too, at one point.

/break\

Jason wanted to be a McLean. Honestly, he wanted to be literally anything but a Grace, but being a McLean would be the closest... and potentially happiest... he could be.

But he was Jason Grace, son and heir of Zeus Grace. Jason knew that and... the entire world did too. Because Zeus made no secret out of anything, he lived his life without a mask at all. Zeus was Zeus, civil and hero. He was married, but he had two children out of wedlock – Jason wasn't sure what _that_ meant exactly, but the worse word for it was that Jason and his big sister were bastards. Zeus and Hera had no children of their own, Thalia had been the first child and even though she was not Hera's, Hera had graciously claimed her, and later Jason, too.

Their mom, their _real_ mom, she couldn't handle it all. The press, the pressure, the wife of her children's father. She drank, a lot, and while she drank, Jason and Thalia grew up with Zeus and Hera. Hera wasn't nice. She hated the mockery, that her husband had cheated on her. And she let it out on the kids. On top of the pressure of being Zeus' son.

Thalia rebelled, became a punk, defying their father and stepmother every turn she could. The black sheep. Jason was two years younger than her, he was young and afraid and he couldn't fight them. So he obeyed. He learned hard, fought hard, to become whatever Zeus and Hera wanted.

Not that Zeus cared much; he... The most important thing to Zeus was being a hero. Family? That was what his wife took care of. Surely Hera would be taking good care of the children and their education. Zeus only turned a bit more attention onto them when he stopped being a hero.

Because he got older. Gray. Retire before it became too late to retire pridefully. Instead, he turned toward politics – Hera had set the aim high for him. Become mayor of New York City first, then senator of New York, pave the way to climb up and become president of the United States.

That was the plan. The plan Hera followed. Zeus, he was happy to accept that, because he loved leading, he missed the responsibility and the feeling of changing the world. Or so he had told Jason often before. Whenever Zeus took the time to sit with him at night to tuck him in, he would gush about the past, about the glory days, about the feeling of being _the_ Zeus, leader of the Olympians.

Part of Jason wanted that too. His father's stories made him eager for the life-path Hera and Zeus had set him onto, besides, he would make them proud, his father would actually spend _more time_ with him, they could perhaps share this. He could do... good.

And then his mother sobered up and things changed and Jason, who had _ever_ only known this one life, the life with cold Hera and absent Zeus, learned a different kind of family could exist, learned what a _normal_ childhood _might_ be like – as normal as being the child of two movie-stars was.

Because Beryl had met a man, a good man. Tristan McLean. He had helped her sober up and the two had gotten married and now, sober and stable, she demanded at least shared custody for her own children. Jason had heard Hera and Zeus talk about it, that trying to fight her in court would make them look bad, so a custody agreement was arranged.

Suddenly, Jason found himself packed up and presented to two strangers. The only solace he had was that Thalia was right there with him as the two of them stood in front of the McLean house.

"I am _so_ sorry I left you for so long", whispered Beryl as she sank onto her knees.

She wrapped her arms around Thalia and Jason, pulling them into a tight hug. Behind her stood her husband, Tristan, smiling. And then Tristan had stepped aside and revealed his own daughter.

"Piper, these are your new siblings. Thalia and Jason."

"Hello", piped Piper up, waving at them. "I'm Piper! Can I show you my room?"

That was how Jason first met real _kindness_ and _happiness_. Which... wasn't something a child should only meet when they were ten, probably. But that summer, that first summer he got to spend with the McLeans, he learned that the way his life had been so far wasn't how it _had_ to be.

/break\

"I'm gonna become a hero too", declared Piper, wiggling her nose in determination.

"Why would you say that, Pipes?", grunted Thalia with a frown.

The three of them were camping outside behind the McLean house. They did that, on the really-really clear nights. Jason and Piper were twelve and Thalia was fourteen. She kept calling them dweebs and teasing them about being kids while she was a teenager, but she _still_ loved them and loved spending time with them. Piper blinked her big, bright eyes at her.

"Because I know your dad is gonna make you attend that superhero-school. Both of you. So I'm gonna become a superhero too so I can go to the same school as you and we can spend more time together than just summers", explained Piper, filled with determination.

Thalia's eyes softened as she wrapped an arm around Piper's neck and pulled her into a tight hug, ruffling her hair. "Don't be so disgustingly cute, it makes me wanna puke!"

Piper was giggling and laughing as she tried to wiggle out from her older sister's grasp. All Jason could do was watch them, smiling to himself. She got to dream. Got to do this because she wanted to – wanted to be with Jason and Thalia. Jason's face fell a little bit.

He didn't want to be a hero anymore. And with every day, he grew more afraid of what he might turn out to be. What if he didn't have any mutant-powers _at all_? All these years of physical training, what if they were for naught? What if he was going to be a big disappointment?

And, inexplicably just as scary, what if he _wasn't_?

What if Jason inherited Zeus' powers and was going to be that perfect heir Hera and Zeus wanted him to be. He... was going to have to be a hero and would have to live up to all of these expectations. Being an instant disappointment by not being a mutant at all would get him out of _years_ of having to live up to every single minuscule expectations.

Every single goal Zeus had _ever_ set, when to save his first civilian, how strong he had to be both physically and also in his powers, how high he could fly, how fast he could run, everything.

While it would be absolutely crushing to disappoint them by not being a mutant, it might just make his life _so much_ easier on the long run. He could... He could become whatever he wanted.

"I... wanna be an actor", whispered Jason softly to himself.

"You what?", asked Thalia surprised. "Really?"

"I dunno. It... looks like fun. You get to play all day – play a role. Be whoever or whatever you want to be. And you inspire people and make them _happy_ with the movies and shows you make."

Jason had thought about that a lot and he thought that being an actor was absolutely amazing. He also thought he had the talent for it, maybe. Tristan said so, because when Tristan was learning his lines, Jason often helped him out and Tristan _always_ praised him for it, both for his delivery and for actually memorizing the lines himself too. There was always praise and kind smiles and support.

"I'm sure you'd be a great actor, Jay", declared Piper with a broad grin.

"Well, not like he's gonna be one", sighed Thalia dryly. "What. I mean, neither of us are gonna get the job we want. At least not until we're like eighteen and out of Hera's grasp."

"It's okay. Until then, we can be a team", stated Piper seriously. "Superhero siblings!"

Thalia smiled at that and resumed the ruffling of Piper's hair. "Seriously, the cute is killing me."

But Jason had to smile too, because just _maybe_ being a superhero wouldn't be as bad if he had his sisters with him. They could be heroes together, he could have the support of his sisters and Tristan and Beryl would certainly also back them up with everything. Positive reinforcement, that was what Tristan called it. Jason really liked it, he could get used to it. Every summer, he got to feel that way and when summer ended, he had to return to the Grace home, to be the perfect poster son of Zeus Grace once more and work hard, every single day, under Hera's stern glare.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gosh darn it, I love writing them as kids. They're so adorable. So, next chapter, more of them as kids - the manifestation of their powers and how they learn to control them! ;)


	3. Blossoming Powers

_Chapter 3: Blossoming Powers_

When Percy was twelve years old, he accidentally exploded the bathroom in his school. He sat in front of the principal's office like the guiltiest little puppy possible, fearing the consequences.

"Our son exploded a bathroom, Sally!", exclaimed Paul with thundering laughter.

Percy looked up, confused. That... tone of voice didn't match the crime. The look on Sally's face said the exact same thing as she stared her husband down rather pointedly.

"Yes. Our son _exploded_ a bathroom", repeated Sally slowly, with emphasis.

Her tone of voice matched what had happened much more, so Percy leaned heavier onto what Tri liked to call Percy's very effective sad kitty eyes. Just to be safe. Paul was still laughing proudly.

"A bathroom, Sally! Our boy, twelve years old, managed to explode a bathroom!"

He rested a heavy hand on Percy's head, ruffling his hair in praising, which only confused Percy more. The little boy blinked, looking from his dad to his mom, trying to understand.

"...Our _small, young son_... caused a _dangerous explosion_ ", tried Sally once more.

This time, it seemed to sink in. "...Ah. You mean... it's... not a good thing." Paul paused to clear his throat. "I mean, of course is it not good! It was very dangerous. Someone could have been hurt."

Sally smiled at her husband, shaking her head and rolling her eyes. After a moment, she turned toward their son and knelt down in front of Percy, gently cupping his face to make him look up.

"Sweetie, we're _not_ angry with you, okay? It wasn't your _fault_. No one got hurt and the school is insured for these kind of accidents. But it was still dangerous and from hereon out, we need to start training you to make sure that this doesn't happen again, okay?"

"Right, mommy. I swear I didn't mean to, but Nancy was being mean again and she was trying to pull me into the girls' bathroom and everyone was laughing because they say it's super embarrassing for a boy to be in the girls' bathroom and I got upset and wanted them to stop and then everything just _burst_ and Nancy was soaking wet and so were her friends."

"Nancy, mh?", repeated Sally with a frown. "The Bobofit girl? I'll have a talk with her parents."

She pulled Percy into a warm, nice hug. Mom hugs were the best. Paul smiled at his son as he ruffled his hair again, gaining Percy's attention. He was still trying to figure out why his dad has been so very excited about Percy destroying school property...

"Twelve years old", muttered Paul, shaking his head in awe. "Triton's powers only started manifesting at thirteen! And _this_ strong, at that. My boy! This powerful!"

At that, Percy perked up a little. It was true that he actually was an earlier bloomer than his big brother. Oh, he would _so_ rub that in when he got home and saw Tri!

/break\

"No. You need to _concentrate_ more, Jason!"

Jason flinched a little, furrowing his brows. He was trying. His father didn't have too much patience when it came to training. Sure, he never hurt Jason when Jason failed, but Jason didn't like when his dad got louder because he got agitated. And Jason was already trying his best.

Not to mention, his dad wasn't exactly the best teacher. His dad was a _doer_ , not an _explainer_. He just... did it. And then expected Jason to see, understand and copy. Only that it wasn't so simply. Just because his dad was up in the air didn't mean Jason understood _how_ Zeus got there. And ever since he had accidentally floated a few weeks ago, his dad had gotten really excited.

At first, Jason had really liked that. His dad had laughed, lifted him up and whirled him around, all proud and excited. Because flying was one of the abilities Thalia didn't display, even though she was older than Jason, so Zeus had come to realize this power might not have passed on to Thalia. To see that Jason had it though, it had made Zeus praise Jason for it.

Now, a few weeks into training, Jason wasn't as keen anymore. His dad... meant well, he wanted Jason to understand, to learn, but he wasn't the best at teaching Jason the how. And then both of them got frustrated when it didn't work. But even that, Jason kind of understood.

What Jason had a pretty good handle on was lightning. It had been the very first power to manifest for Jason – he had accidentally zapped Thalia. By now, he could control it more or less, but he honestly didn't think he could explain _how_. It was kind of in the gut? A feeling in the pit of his stomach and he channeled it and then lightning happened. So, Jason understood why his dad was struggling with teaching him how to use his powers, because these things were so intuitive, so linked to emotions, that it was hard to boil down to some simple instructions.

"I think that's enough for today, kiddo", sighed Zeus. "Come down here. Go do your homework before dinner, yeah? Otherwise Hera's gonna give us both a hard time again."

"Yes, dad", nodded Jason as he carefully landed again.

He ran off to his room, though he had already finished his homework after lunch. So instead, he threw himself onto his bed and grabbed his phone to text his best friend. Which, it was _probably_ sad that his best friend was his stepsister, but he didn't exactly have a big social circle, what with him being home-schooled by his stepmother Hera and being such a prominent figure. The son of Zeus. So making friends, meeting people, wasn't exactly easy. Piper was his best friend and Jason _loved_ spending the summer at the McLean home, because he got to hang out with Piper and also with Piper's friends. He grinned slightly as he texted her about his day and she replied with a very goofy photo of herself and Leo. Leo was cool, Leo was Piper's best non-Jason-friend and Jason considered Leo a friend too, but since they lived rather far apart, it wasn't that Jason got to spend any time with Leo outside the summers he was visiting Piper. If they'd live closer though, Jason was sure they would be spending so much time together, they would have... so much fun.

/break\

Nico and Bianca regularly had training sessions with their father. He had taught them many basic relaxation techniques to even their breathing and channel their energy. Because sudden, big emotional outbursts tended to reflect in... zombies. Both Nico and Bianca took after their father, they had control over death and darkness. Though Bianca was more prolific in the darkness department and Nico was better at summoning the dead. Both of them could do the other, just not as effectively. The greatest, funnest thing was shadow-traveling – using darkness as a portal to travel between places. That was what Bianca excelled in, she could very easily jump into the shadows and move around, even multiple times. Sure, Nico could do it too, but it drained him, he usually needed excessive time to recharge afterward and he couldn't hop as often as Bianca.

That had seriously bummed him out at first, made him pout. It was his mom who had found the perfect solution for him, to help him out with that. Maria got him a hell-hound puppy. Just like Hades' Zerberus, but this one was _all his_. She was an adorable, huge black beast with fire-red eyes and he had named her Mrs. O'Leary. The big puppy loved cuddles, belly-rubs and long runs.

In turn, Nico excelled in summoning the dead. At least the _physical_ dead; Bianca was pretty good at summoning ghosts. But reanimating skeletons, summoning zombies? Nico was _so_ good at it, it had even baffled Hades. At that early an age, Hades had summoned his first zombies too, but it hadn't come as easily to him as it did to Nico. He saw a lot of potential in his son.

"Very well-done, children", praised Hades with a smile. "Mh, let's call it a day and see how your mamma and Hazel are doing. Maybe we could order pizza..."

"Ye—es!", exclaimed Bianca relieved. "I am _starving_."

"Can't we order burgers instead?", asked Nico, using the biggest puppy-dog eyes.

"...I swear if given the option, you would just live off of burgers and fries", muttered Bianca.

"Yes. Yes, I would", confirmed Nico. "But ordering pizza is seriously lame. None _ever_ taste as good as dad's so if we order in, why not something different when dad can't make it himself?"

"He has a point, dad", nodded Bianca after a moment.

Hades laughed, proudly, resting one hand on each of his children's heads. "I'll take the compliment. And make time to make pizza for us this Sunday, how does that sound?"

Bianca and Nico high-fived and cheered at that. Together, the three of them headed outside toward where Persephone and Hazel were. While Hades and his twin-brother used to have very similar powers, much like Bianca and Nico, Hazel's had developed a little more different there, combining her father's and her mother's powers. She could control the Earth, especially to find the things inside the Earth. It was different than Persephone's – because her control of the Earth was about making things grow and helping plants – but it was close enough that she could help the little girl. It gave Persephone and Hazel wonderful bonding time, which helped Hazel settle in. Ever since she had moved in with them, she had opened up more. She even smiled again.

"Hey, Haze, mamma!", called Nico out as they spotted the two.

They were in the garden, the best place to train Earth-based powers. Both Persephone and Hazel looked up at Nico's words, smiling at him. They got up and when Persephone approached to meet them half-way, she pulled Nico into a hug, kissing his forehead.

"Are you done with training for today?", asked Persephone, receiving nods. "What do you say, Hazel, do you want to keep going or wanna go back inside?"

"We convinced dad to order in burgers", declared Nico.

"Burgers!", declared Hazel. "And a chocolate milkshake, please."

"Anything for you, princess", assured Hades with a soft smile.

/break\

Percy was majorly pouting as he stared at his big brother. Triton was going to graduate high school soon. Percy was only fourteen and he would only get to _go to_ high school next year! But Triton was already done with it. And Triton had totally _wasted_ his high school time by going to a regular, normal, boring high school. Why would he do that? He had powers! He could control water too! But Triton had no interest in becoming a superhero. Which, Percy totally couldn't relate to.

"Stop pouting, brat", huffed Triton and ruffled Percy's hair hard.

"No fair, don't!", groaned Percy, trying to dodge out of it.

Triton grinned as he sat down next to Percy on his younger brother's bed. The room was all blue – while Triton preferred green (like a blue-green, actually, but Triton also liked regular green), blue was Percy's favorite color and basically everything Percy had was blue. There was a huge poster of the Olympians on the wall next to the door, illustrated in the style of the early 90s comic run about the Olympians (which was Percy's favorite run; it had focused most on the Big Three, while the more modern run relied heavier on the more minor gods, to draw in a new crowd with new stories. It was working, sure, but Percy's favorite was Hades so he preferred the run heavily featuring him).

"Mom and dad have been talking about this but haven't asked you yet, so here I am, asking: You _sure_ you want to attend Chiron High?", asked Triton with a frown. "Mom's worried about you, because... the path you chose is a dangerous one, you know."

"I know. I'm not stupid, Tri", sighed Percy frustrated and collapsed backward onto the bed. "I know being a hero is a dangerous job. You can get hurt, the people you love can get hurt. That's part of the job. I'm not a little kid anymore, who jumps around with a blanket as a cape-"

"...You literally wore a blanket as a cape for Halloween when you dressed up as Hades."

" _Not_ the point! And it was _Halloween_ ", huffed Percy with a flush. But I know this isn't a game. I made this decision for myself. Because I _know_ this is what I want, Tri."

Triton stared at him seriously, like he was trying to check just how serious Percy was. In the end, Triton nodded and reached out to mess up Percy's hair _again_. Percy glared up at him.

"You're such a little weirdo", muttered Triton affectionately. "At least I have one normal brother!"

He said the second part louder, very much aware of the little boy hiding around the corner, trying to listen in on their conversation undetected. Giggling, their little brother rounded the corner and ran up to them to jump onto the bed too. Tyson Jackson was the youngest Jackson brother, eight years younger than Percy. And absolutely no one could deny the chubby-cheeked kid anything. He had their mom's brown hair, looking generally more like Sally than Paul, where both Triton and Percy had been accused of being 'carbon copies' of their dad, with the sea-green eyes and black hair.

"What do you think, Ty?", asked Percy. "Want your big brother to become a superhero?"

"No—o. I want Percy to stay living here with us forever and to play fun games with me", huffed Tyson with a pout. "I don't want you to move out..."

Ah. There was one problem about Chiron High, it was a boarding school. Percy smiled thinly as he hugged his little brother closer and started tickling his stomach until Tyson laughed.

"Bu—ut the school is just over on Rhode Island, Ty. That's just around the corner. I'll be over _all_ the time, it'll be like I'm not even gone, I promise", declared Percy seriously.

"Pinkie-promise?", asked Tyson tentatively, holding a pinkie out.

"Pinkie-promise. I'll become a great hero, but I'll _never_ forget my number one fan."

Percy grinned as he linked pinkies with his little brother and kissed Tyson's forehead. Triton heaved a long-suffering sigh, before he pulled them both into a hug and unfairly started tickling _both_ their stomachs. Percy yelped, trying to wiggle free, but Triton was just too big and heavy and strong.

"Sto—op it!", exclaimed Percy very pointedly.

Triton stopped. But when Percy turned around, the look on Triton's face was one of wide surprise. Completely unmoved, pausing just... mid-tickle. Percy drew his eyebrows together confused, slowly growing scared. This wasn't Triton pulling a prank on him or anything.

"Mom! Dad! Mom, dad, something's not right with Triton!", called Percy out panicked.

Paul was the first one in the bedroom and it took him only a moment to assess the situation. Sally came running in after Paul and the two exchanged a meaningful look before Sally came to carefully pick Tyson up and carry him out of the room while Paul came to kneel next to the bed.

"Percy, kiddo, look at me", requested Paul gently. "You're breathing too fast. You need to _relax_."

"I... I don't think me having a panic-attack matters much! Something's wrong with _Tri_!"

"Percy. Just listen to me. Listen to my breathing, slow yours down. It's okay. It's just... your powers. You control water. You control it... very... very... well. The human body is made of water. You... froze Triton. It's okay, he's not in pain, it's fine, you just have to let it go. And for that, you need to relax, so you can focus on letting it go, okay? Make sense?"

Percy nodded sharply and tried to mirror his dad's breathing until he was calmed down. Paul kept smiling at him reassuringly and then he took both of Percy's hands, squeezing them.

"Remember how you control water. When you're done and let go. Focus on Triton and do that."

Once again, Percy nodded in confirmation. He could control water, he was really good at that – he had even learned to turn it into fun shapes, like make horses _entirely_ out of water and let them gallop around the bathroom to make Tyson laugh. It needed a lot of focus though. And when he was done with it, he had to let go of the control, of the water. He tried doing that now.

"Well, that was a weird experience and I'm glad he didn't learn _that_ sooner."

"Tri!", exclaimed Percy relieved and tackled his big brother in a hug. "You alright? I'm sorry!"

Triton smiled at him and wrapped his arms around Percy. "I'm fine, brat. But... I guess... Chiron High _is_ the right place for you. You're damn powerful."

Percy blinked doe-eyed at that. _Triton_ had never admitted that before. Their dad did, often, telling Percy how talented he was and how proud he was of Percy. Mom did too, always with a soft smile. But Triton usually just teased Percy, how he had been 'way better' when he was Percy's age.

"Wo—ow. I _am_ strong", whispered Percy, blinking slowly. "I'm stronger _than dad_."

"Hey now, kiddo", chided Paul amused, ruffling Percy's hair.

"Oh, come on, it's enough Tri always does this", groaned Percy.

"But I _do_ have to agree with your brother", sighed Paul. "I think that the teachers at Chiron High will be better equipped to teach you your control and how to use your powers. They're... trained to teach, I... might be a teacher, but not for this subject."

Percy was grinning broadly, vibrating in his seat. He couldn't _wait_ for school to start!

/break\

Nico was only mildly interested in becoming a hero. He partially felt that it was his duty, as the son of Hades. There was a legacy, even if he wasn't in the public eye like the Grace-siblings, of whom the entire world expected to become great heroes one day because they were the children of Zeus, but Nico still felt that legacy for himself. Another part was that his older sister had already gone ahead – she was two years older than him, after all. He didn't like being left behind, so he sure planned on going to Chiron High and make a name for himself too. He had even talked about this with his best friends and while Frank wasn't _super_ keen on it, because he was more of a nerd than a fighter, he had the power to shapeshift into any animal he wanted to and that was the kind of power that should be trained in a safe, professional environment. Will was pretty much on board right away, tough he didn't want to become a hero – he wanted to become support, because he had healing powers. Knowing his best friends were going to be there made things more exciting.

"Not to sound too shallow, but... high school with future superheroes is going to feature hot boys", declared Will with a sigh, laying sprawled out on Nico's bed. "It's the year I'll get a boyfriend."

"For trying to not sound shallow... you kind of failed", snickered Frank.

It was how the three of them had first become friends. They were all gay – well, Frank was bi, but still – and it had _othered_ them, but they had banded together. It was great, making friends who were like him, who were _not straight_. It sure had made middle school easier.

"I mean, Will's not wrong", grinned Nico. "I call dibs on the cutest guy in school."

"You can't call dibs before school even _started_!", exclaimed Frank amused.

"I just did", shrugged Nico unimpressed. "Dibs. Can't wait for school to start."

/break\

Jason wasn't keen on going to Chiron High, but there had never really been another option for him. He had still been in diapers when it was decided he would go to Chiron High. The only saving grace was that Thals was already there and that both Piper and Leo had already enthusiastically confirmed that they were definitely going to. Which meant he would get to see his friends every day. It also meant he wouldn't have to live with his father's expectations and his his stepmother's demanding nature anymore. Sometimes, he did feel like Hera loved him, in her own ways, but most of the time, it felt more like he was a means to an end. The picture-perfect son who would help boost Zeus' political career and his image – if his son became as great a hero as him, Zeus would have all the votes he needed for a re-election. The path had been long, Jason knew that, but Hera had planned every single step on Zeus' career path and it had, effectively, led him to the White House. President Zeus Grace. Jason had his role to play in all of that. The role of a good, sweet son who was definitely going to be the next great hero and leader of the Olympians. For that, he had to attend Chiron High. And the first day of school was looming close.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They're ACTUALLY going to go to school and are going to meet next chapter! So look forward to their first impressions of each other ;)


	4. First Impressions (1)

_Chapter 4: First Impressions (1)_

Percy was nervous and excited, he couldn't sit still. He kept bouncing in his seat. The whole family sat in their car to drop Percy off at Chiron High. Dad was driving, mom was sitting next to him but she kept turning her head to smile at Percy, watching him bounce and listening to him rattle off silly facts about the school. Percy liked to ramble when he was excited. Tyson was listening to his every word, as he always did. And though Triton acted annoyed, he never interrupted Percy or told him to stop rambling. He was _so_ excited. Today was the day, the day he had been looking forward to for so long. He had everything packed that he needed, he was as well-prepared as he could be.

"I wonder who we're gonna end up rooming with", hummed Percy curiously.

"Huh?", asked Tyson confused. "You'll room with Grover, right?"

"Well, yes. We both had it marked down in the forms. Because the school wants us to be as comfortable as possible and if we're signing up with someone we know, we can mark that down. _But_ the dorms aren't just two people", explained Percy, gesturing a little. "The dorm rooms are two bedrooms for two people each, connected with a shared small common room and a bathroom. And Grover and I get to share a bedroom, _but_ we'll share our dorm-room with two third-years. So first-years have someone older right there to get to know and show them the ropes."

Percy knew everything he could possibly know about Chiron High. He was prepared for every possible scenario and he had so many plans. What he didn't know was that there were certain scenarios he hadn't prepared for, scenarios he couldn't have anticipated. Because romance? Romance was not even remotely on Percy's mind. He was sixteen, about to enter high school and all he could think of was the future, his career. Romance didn't even cross his mind as a factor yet.

/break\

Nico knew that he couldn't tell anyone about his father's identity; they had a serious conversation about this before Nico and Hazel signed up for school. They knew Aiden and Maria di Angelo were Hades and Persephone, but unlike Zeus, the two had kept their secret identities a _secret_. Nico and Hazel understood that as they drove to Chiron High. Hazel was a few months younger than Nico, but old enough to sign up with him. They'd be in the same class and Hazel was really excited about it. She had really blossomed in the years she had been living with them.

"And you two are _sure_ you don't want to be on the same team?", asked Maria curiously.

"I love Haze. She's like my sister. Which is why I don't want to be on a team with her. I want to be my own hero, not... not a team-up with my little sister – no offense", huffed Nico.

"Absolutely none taken", replied Hazel with a smile. "Not keen on being in my big brother's shadow either. I... I'm going to make friends and we're going to become a team."

Hazel hadn't really made friends so far, she had stuck to the family, not wanting to get attached. Her now wanting to make friends, it made Maria smile proudly at the girl. Their family was on their way to the welcoming ceremony; the principal was going to say a few words and afterward, everyone could bring their first-year children to the assigned dorms. They had gotten the room-numbers in the invitational letter for the ceremony. Nico and Hazel were both nervous but excited and it was very cute to Maria. She was holding her husband's hand as they walked in.

"Ha... Aiden. Aiden di Angelo. I can't believe I'm meeting _you_ here! Today!"

Hades and Persephone froze up and turned slowly toward the very loud laughing voice. Their expressions changed, softened, as they saw who it had been. Paul Blofis. Poseidon.

"Brother!", laughed Hades, pulling the man into a tight hug.

" _Brother_?!", echoed Hazel, Nico and three others.

The young di Angelos turned toward the other kids who had spoken up. One was a young brunette boy, one like a young adult, college-age, and the third a teenager. While the kids looked at each other, the wives hugged each other tightly too, kissing each other's cheeks.

"Not... Not blood-brother", laughed the other man, turning toward his own children. "Don't worry, he is not an uncle I never told you about. Aiden and I go way back, we're..."

"Paul and I were in the same fraternity, you could say", offered Hades amused. "There was a time we were practically inseparable, like brothers. I didn't know one of your kids would be old enough to join Chiron High this year, but now... yeah, sixteen years, huh."

"Time flies by, my friend", laughed Paul, a fond sparkle in his eyes. "Are these yours?"

"Nico and Hazel", confirmed Hades, motioning at the kids. "My oldest, Bianca, is already attending the school. She will be joining us, she came here yesterday like the other third and second years."

"It's wonderful to meet you kids. These are mine, my oldest here, Triton, he's joined the fire academy. Wants to be a fire-fighter. Percy, he's joining the school, and Tyson, our youngest."

"Fire-fighter, mh?", asked Persephone curiously. "How do you like that, Sally?"

"He kept saying he doesn't want to be a hero and then he reveals well he only meant no _super_ hero. Instead, he wants the job where you run into burning buildings", sighed Sally, shaking her head.

Nico narrowed his eyes as he watched the family. His dad's reaction. And he had never actually been in a fraternity. Which meant this was an awkward cover-story. Was this other guy – this Paul – a superhero too? Interesting. Nico grew more curious and turned toward the kids, especially the one who would be a first year now too. Suddenly, he made a little o.

"I called dibs", whispered Nico absentmindedly. "Remind Will that I called dibs."

"What are you talking about?", asked Hazel confused.

"Hi. I'm Nico. Nico di Angelo, apparently not your cousin", offered Nico with a charming smile.

The beautiful boy laughed and it was a beautiful sound. "Good. I'm not much of a fan of sudden new family members. That's just strange. I'm Percy Jackson, nice to meet you."

"How about we go and take seats together?", asked Paul excited, an arm around Hades' shoulders. "We have so much catching up to do and we can do so while we wait for this to start."

Nico smiled pleased by that. This worked out nice, he would get a chance to talk to the beautiful boy with the beautiful laugh. Percy Jackson. That sounded beautiful too.

"Holy shit!", whispered Percy suddenly, tugging on Nico's sleeve.

Startled, Nico turned toward Percy and followed his line of sight. As did everyone else in the hall, because Zeus and Hera Grace had just entered the building, with the son of Zeus standing between them. Jason Grace. Nico tilted his head. Admittedly, among all the masses of first years with their families that came flooding in, he was the most interesting. Even before signing up, Nico had known Jason Grace would be in the same year as them.

"Jason Grace, son of Zeus", whispered Nico, narrowing his eyes again.

Competition. Nico wanted to make a name for himself. Being in the same year as the son of Zeus was going to be tough though. Looking at Jason Grace now, it... felt off. Nico hadn't been obsessively stalking the guy, he had just at random heard things about him. Everything made it sound like he was the second coming. Standing there, in the doorway, was not the second coming. A fifteen year old blonde twink fidgeting with his hands, avoiding anyone's eyes, that was what stood there in the doorway. Not some grand second coming of any sort. Just a cute, nervous first year.

"Mh... You have a competitive spirit", noted Percy with a grin.

"I... uh... I do", admitted Nico, ruffling his curls.

"Then don't look at him", declared Percy, the playfulness fading into a tone that was to be taken seriously. "Look at me. I'm your biggest competition among this year's first years."

"That's... That's a bold statement", grunted Nico surprised when their families sat down together.

"It's an honest statement", shrugged Percy. "I'm powerful and I've been training for four years now. He may have the legacy, but I have been working my ass off to become the best. So, don't look at him just because he has the name. Look at me."

Oof. Beautiful boy with beautiful laugh had a competitive spirit and definitely knew his own worth, because his tone wasn't bragging, it was factual. He _had_ put the work in. He _was_ this strong. That only made him more interesting. Nico smiled as Percy sat down right next to him.

"Okay, Percy Jackson. It is on", declared Nico, offering his hand.

"To a good rivalry, Nico di Angelo", replied Percy with a grin.

/break\

Everyone kept staring at Jason. He was used to it, all his life, eyes had been on him, because he was the son of Zeus. Photographers, reporters, fans of his father's. Occasionally even fans of his mom and stepdad – since both of them were big actors. No one... No one ever looked at Jason and just saw _Jason_. Not Jason _Grace_. Just... Just Jason. Just the scared kid he was. Sure, he was fifteen, bordering sixteen, but he was still just a _kid_. A scared kid, because now he was at a boarding school filled with kids training to be heroes – kids who _wanted_ to be heroes, unlike him. Kids who knew nothing and yet everything about him; they knew his powers, his training, his linage. And they all judged him according to that. Because he was the son of Zeus and he... wasn't anything more.

"Ja—ason! Jay!"

Jason startled and then he was being hugged. Leo's hugs were always warm, he ran hotter than the average person because he had fire-powers, and his hugs were all-consuming. Jason liked Leo-hugs. He got them very rarely, because Leo lived all the way in Los Angeles, where Piper lived, where Jason only got to see them every summer and not more often. Carefully, Jason smiled and returned the hug. He would get more Leo-hugs now, because despite all the dreadful things about this school, there were _good things_ too. Leo was one of them. Leo and Piper, who were both also here.

"Hey, Leo", greeted Jason slowly. "So... Are we... Did we..."

He held up the letter of invitation, because words failed him. He dreaded sharing a bedroom with a stranger. He had stolen his application from his stepmother's drawer to fill in one more field. Because he wanted to room with Leo. It had been horrifying – sneaking into his stepmother's office, opening the letter and resealing it afterward. But he _really_ wanted to room with Leo.

"Ye—es!", exclaimed Leo excitedly, jumping up and down. "Same room! C'mon! Let's check who we're gonna share our dorm with! Come along, McLean!"

Jason smiled faintly at that and allowed himself to be tugged along by his friend. Leo always called him McLean, because he knew Jason would rather be a McLean than a Grace. The two came stumbling into their assigned dorm-room. The common room was small, a corner-couch and a desk, a shelf, even a TV. It was nice, not big but it didn't need to be. It was supposed to give the four students who lived here a common space to talk with each other, study, bond.

"They arrived! Our first-years to dote on! C'mon, Trav."

Leo and Jason remained in the common room and waited, until two nearly identical brunettes came stumbling in through one of the bedroom doors. Their eyes were filled with mischief.

"Hey. We're the Stolls. He's Connor, I'm Travis, no one can tell us apart. No, we are not twins. I'm actually a year older than him", declared one of the two brunettes with a smile.

"Hello. I'm Leo Valdez, this is Jason McLean, we're happy to be here", declared Leo.

"...Grace", sighed Jason after a moment. "It's not gonna fly. Everyone knows me already. I'm Jason Grace, the son of Zeus everyone's been gawking at all day."

"Huh, cool", nodded Connor. "So, that over there is your room. Get comfortable, settle in and give us a call when you're done so we can show you around the school?"

"Huh, cool? That... That's it?", asked Jason confused.

"Kiddo, if you expect to be fawned over, then go to someone who hasn't attended the same classes as your big sister for the past two years", chuckled Travis, ruffling Jason's hair. "We're third years. Just like Thalia. We've been learning here with her for two years now. You're not _that_ special."

Huh. Why did it feel so good to be called not special? Jason bit his lips and nodded sharply before he carried his luggage over into the empty bedroom. It really wasn't big, two beds and two desks with two chairs, a shelf over each of the beds, for books and things. Barely any space at all. And somehow, Jason liked that. He had always hated how _big_ everything was at the Grace manor.

"Thank you, for the offer", called Jason out, seeing the two brunettes poke their heads in. "But... uh... before we have a tour, we wanna go looking for my sister's room, check in with her?"

"We can show you where Thalia's room is", offered Connor.

"Other sister. She's also a first year", replied Leo with a grin. "My other best friend."

"Gosh, you first years are adorable", sighed Travis. "Do you remember being that young and energetic, Con? Aren't they just precious?"

"They indeed are, Trav. Our own little first years. Very precious", confirmed Connor.

Both were grinning at them and Jason had to smile a little. He had a feeling that living here would be pretty cool. The Stolls seemed very nice. With that thought, Jason put his suitcase down on his bed and then quickly made his way out of the room, because if their dorm-mates were nice, he _really_ hoped that Piper's dorm-mates were nice too. Leo was hot on his tails as they ran down the hall. Jason hated that he hadn't gotten to sit with Piper during the ceremony, because Hera wanted to elevate herself and her husband, the Graces sat together. The McLeans sat somewhere else, together with Leo and his mom. Jason would have loved to sit with them instead.

"Kay, this should be it. Knock on the door", declared Leo, nudging Jason.

Jason bit his lips, always catching that little scar on his lip when he got nervous, and then he knocked. Moments later and a brutish looking brunette with broad shoulders and an annoyed glare on her face opened the door. Part of Jason wanted to immediately leave again.

"Girls' dorm", grunted the brunette, raising one eyebrow. "You brats lost?"

"I... uh... I'm... I'm looking for... my sister?", asked Jason slowly. "Piper?"

"Jay! Clarisse, please let them in! He's my brother, they're my friends."

Jason sighed relieved when the scary brunette stepped aside and revealed Piper sitting on the couch in the common room, together with a blonde girl and two boys, one of them brunette and the other with black, messy hair. The black-haired one was staring straight at Jason. Not really gawking, not fanboying, more like he was trying to read Jason. Curiously, Jason stepped up.

"That's my brother Jason and that's my best friend Leo", introduced Piper. "Guys, this is my roommate Annabeth and her friends Grover and Percy. They came by to check on Annabeth."

Now Jason regretted how long he had been held up by the press with his parents, because otherwise he would have checked in with everyone else and he could have been here before the strangers. And now Piper was sitting with strangers, talking to them. Jason didn't do well with strangers, because of all the gawking that people tended to do. Offering an awkward smile, Jason came to sit with Piper.

"Jason Grace", hummed Percy, tilting his head.

Jason held his gaze. He had been taught not to flinch and not to give an inch. This kind of situation, the weaker one gave in first. Graces were _never_ the weaker ones. So he held Percy's gaze. And then Percy just grinned broadly and offered him his hand. Confused, Jason took a moment.

"Nice to meet you. I'm in the habit of forming rivalries today, so—o brace yourselvf, Jason Grace, son of Zeus, I am here to _fight_ my way up to number one", declared Percy, still grinning.

Rivalry? No! Jason didn't _want_ a rivalry. He just wanted to be here and have _fun_ with the people he loved. Be away from his stepmother and his father. No rivalry, no fighting. He didn't want that.

"Barking up the wrong tree there", commented Piper with an amused look on her face. "Jay's not here to become a big number, he's here because his parents pressured him."

" _Piper_!", hissed Jason wide-eyed, elbowing his sister.

"What? You wanna start off your school career with a 'rival'? That's only gonna give you a stomach ache again, Jay", huffed Piper with a shrug. "Just, let the guy know that this is gonna be a one-sided rivalry, it might make _both_ your lives easier."

"Hu—uh?", asked Percy confused, looking from Piper to Jason.

Jason wasn't keen on sharing his life's sorrow with total strangers, but Piper _did_ have a point. Maybe this would stop the other boy from trying to be his _rival_. Which sounded horrifying.

"My boy Jason here is gonna be _the_ next big Hollywood star!", exclaimed Leo proudly, wrapping his arms around Jason. "Jason McLean, remember that name, you _will_ see him at the Oscar's!"

"More huh", offered Percy, though now he was grinning a little bit. "Like, what I'm hearing here is that _you_ want to be an actor. Not a superhero. Which, fair career choice and you _definitely_ have the looks for a teen-heart-throb, _but_... this ain't an acting school."

Involuntarily, Jason blushed at the compliment. He didn't have enough contact to other people his age to get _complimented_ by anyone, not like that. Especially not with such a smirk.

"I'm the son of Zeus", offered Jason, head tilted down a little. "Every... _Everyone_... expects me to be a hero. There is no _choice_. That's the path set out for me."

"Well, that sucks", grunted Percy confused.

"Perce!", chided Annabeth, nudging him.

"What? I dunno what to say to that! This is Jason Grace! Literally the last thing I expected to hear from the guy, if I ever met him, was that he doesn't even _want_ to be a hero!", exclaimed Percy.

"Please don't say that. Ever. To... to press or... or my father", whispered Jason pleadingly.

"I'm not really talking to the press a lot", snorted Percy, raising one eyebrow. "And I don't see a reason to tell your parents anything. It's your life. Your choice."

That would be nice. If it was his life, or his choice. There was something kind and genuine in Percy's eyes. Very pretty eyes, that were. Kind of green and kind of blue. Jason blinked a few times.

"It's okay. We're gonna... keep your secret", offered Grover kindly. "And Percy is gonna dial back his competitiveness. You have to excuse him. He's wanted to be a hero basically since the day he stepped out of the womb. And he's been talking about becoming the leader of the New Olympians since we were like... four years old. So, the son of Zeus, well-"

"Makes for a pretty big rival there, since Zeus was the leader of the first Olympians", concluded Piper, nodding slowly to herself. "Well, my brother is not his father."

"Huh. I mean, I can work with that", shrugged Percy and tilted his head, before turning toward Jason. "Jason McLean, future big-shot actor. It's nice to meet you."

He thrust his hand out, again, and this time Jason took it reluctantly, shaking it. "Nice to meet you, Percy Jackson, future leader of the New Olympians."

"So, the three of you are a team then?", asked Leo curiously.

"We've been a team since first grade", confirmed Annabeth with a nod. "Percy here had our entire lives planned out since he could write, basically. Sign up to this school together, share a room with Grover, become a team in the hero-program, graduate on the top of his class, form the New Olympians. Percy is the man with a plan."

"Amazing", hummed Leo. "I don't know what I want yet. I'm mostly here to be with Pipes and Jay and to learn full control of my powers – they started manifesting a few months ago. But... a job? I don't know if I want to become a hero, or... or a mechanic, like my parents, or maybe an actor, or a sailor, who knows. I admire people with a plan. You got... superhero parents who influenced you?"

"No", grunted Percy with an amused grin, shaking his head. "I just... grew up on the comics of the Olympians and I really admired them. I want to change the world. Help people."

Jason tilted his head as he watch Percy be so enthusiastic about becoming a hero. He had never met someone like Percy and he'd like to get to know him, and to see him succeed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lotta characters, so not all first impressions made it into this chapter! Next chapter, Nico and Jason get to seize each other up ;D


	5. First Impressions (2)

_Chapter 5: First Impressions (2)_

Nico first met Jason Grace face-to-face when he went to check up on his sisters. They had managed to arrange for Hazel to be rooming with Bianca. Despite her having settled in really well with the di Angelo family and in Los Angeles, they still worried how she would adapt to the changes of living in New York, in a boarding school, so they had requested that Hazel could live in the same dorm as Bianca, so her older sister could keep an eye on her.

After dumping his things at the room he was sharing with Frank now, he had decided to go and check on his sisters, Frank hot on his heels. Frank was basically Hazel's best friend too. He spent more time at the di Angelo mansion than at home, probably – his father had been a soldier and fallen when Frank was still a baby and his mom was still active on tours, his grandmother took care of him but she was an elderly lady, so usually the di Angelos ended up inviting them over a lot. Frank had practically grown up in the di Angelo backyard.

"Haze, you there?", asked Nico as he knocked on the door.

It wasn't closed so he opened it even as he knocked. Yet the first person he saw inside the dorm wasn't either of his sisters. It was Jason Grace, sitting there, looking all... soft and happy. He was laughing at something, looking startlingly bright. Nico had been looking Jason Grace up a few times, he admitted, checking the tabloids and news and such. The blonde always looked kind of tense and like he didn't want to be wherever he was; uncomfortable, unhappy. Nico didn't think he'd ever seen pictures or footage of Jason looking _happy_. But laughing – smiling like this – it actually suited him pretty well. He looked very different and it startled Nico a bit.

"Neeks! Fratellino!", exclaimed Bianca as she got up from the couch and hugged him.

She sat on the other couch, with Thalia Grace. He hadn't even noticed, because Jason's laughter had distracted him. The next moment, Nico was engulfed in a tight hug by his big sister. For all the teasing, he knew that she loved him dearly. Grinning, he hugged her back.

"Hey, sis. Figured I'll check in on you and Hazel. I wanted to see her roommate."

"Hazel and her roommate are in their rooms, getting settled in", replied Bianca. "Thals' little brother also came to check on her. Don't we have _adorable_ little brothers?"

"Precious", agreed Thalia with a deadpan, pinching Jason's cheek.

Jason's face turned bright-red. Again, Nico tilted his head curiously. It was going to be an interesting experience to get a close-up of Jason Grace, son of Zeus, in a way the press had never shown him before. On a conceptional, logical level, Nico had known that the picture in his head was not real, it was a construct created by the narrative of both the press and the Grace parents. Yet it still was the picture in his head and it was hard to move away from that. Do not judge a book by its covers, that was what his mom used to tell him – and his dad used to drive it home by pointing out how some people quite literally had dual identities. Hades and Aiden di Angelo presented very differently, whoever looked at the caped, dark hero would not expect the gentle, caring father and the same went for the other way around. A public persona and a private truth were different.

"Oh, Nico? Hey, how are you settling in?", asked Hazel as she poked her head out.

She was smiling, that was a good sign and made Nico relax a little. Returning her smile, he approached her to check out her room. It was the same as his, of course, they were all the same in the outlines. There was a girl with long, black hair sitting on one of the beds, looking up.

"Hello. I'm Reyna. You are the other sibling?", guessed Reyna.

"I am the other sibling", confirmed Nico, waving at her. "You can call me Nico."

Hazel was bouncing on the balls of her feet, looking proud. "I am looking forward to this so much. Have you met your roommates yet? What are they like?"

"I don't know. Their room was locked when we got there, so we just dropped our stuff off in our room and then headed here", replied Nico with a shrug. "Guess we'll meet them later. Bu—ut Frank and I got to room together, so that's great. Will's with Cecil, he texted me their room-number."

"...You people travel in packs, huh?", asked Reyna curiously.

"We just all knew we wanted to go here", shrugged Nico. "What about you?"

"Eh", was all the reply he got with a shoulder-shrug. "Let's not get into that."

Nico frowned at that intrigued and accepted it for now and instead returned back to the common room where Hazel and Frank had by now sat down with the others too. Nico decided to join them, sitting down just next to Frank, with the perfect view on the now increasingly more uncomfortable looking Jason Grace. Seriously, what was _with_ this guy? Something felt off, not just in the private versus public persona sense. It only made Nico more curious.

"You know, my brother came here to become the best", stated Bianca, patting Nico on the shoulder. "So just because the great Jason Grace is here doesn't mean your brother will take over the school in a storm. He got serious competition for that."

Thalia just laughed, ruffling Jason's hair. "Don't worry about that much. He's just here for the base training, he doesn't wanna make waves. Which is gonna be hard, all things considered."

"Jason Grace, not making waves", muttered Nico with a snort.

"I don't want to make waves, I just want to attend classes and have _fun_ being in high school!", exclaimed Jason, looking frustrated. "First this intense guy with the cocky grin and now _you_! People need to _stop_ coming to me like I want to be involved in some intense, fated rivalry! For all I care, you and Percy can wrestle it out between the two of you, I _really_ don't care!"

Nico stared surprised and Jason stared back at him just as surprised, before quickly sitting down again with his sister, looking a bit bashful and embarrassed. That was nearly cute, making Nico huff before what Jason had said caught up with him in detail and he laughed out loud.

"So you met Percy too! He _is_ kind of intense, isn't he?", chuckled Nico.

"Ye—eah. But like... in a nice way? He changed course pretty quickly when I told him that I'm not interested in having any kind of rivalry and he was all smiles then", offered Jason reluctantly.

"See, he was all smiles after I told him that I'm going to become his rival", stated Nico.

"Who is this Percy?", asked Bianca with furrowed brows, looking at Thalia.

"Percy Jackson", offered Nico, still getting a blank face from Bianca. "He seems to be the son of... a fraternity brother... of dad's? He's definitely ambitious."

"Interesting. Gotta check that boy later", noted Thalia curiously.

Nico was still smiling because of the memory of Percy, though his eyes found Jason. He wasn't sure what to make of the blonde yet, but he was going to keep an eye on him to see.

/break\

"You can't be that intense with people, dude", declared Frank with a heavy sigh.

He clapped Nico on the back, causing Nico to stumble a little from the force. "What? Why?"

"You scared the poor guy", huffed Frank amused. "I swear Grace looked ready to hide somewhere. You're gonna get a reputation within a week if you continue like that."

"That's fine. That's the goal", stated Nico with a small smirk.

"You're awful", grunted Frank, shaking his head. "Gotta rethink joining a team with you."

"Shut up, you love me!", huffed Nico, shoving the bigger boy.

Frank laughed and put Nico in a headlock to ruffle his curls. "Sure I love you, pretty boy."

"Of course you do. When you're close to _all of this_ , how could you be gay and _not_ want it?"

Nico was grinning smugly up at him, motioning at himself. Frank's laughter increased and he ruffled Nico's hair even harder, causing Nico to yelp and try to wiggle out.

"I'm bi, but I have _taste_ ", declared Frank with a cheeky smirk.

"Oh, the _offense_ ", hissed Nico. "You do know you sleep in the same room as me now, right? Your guard _will_ be down when you sleep and you _will_ regret your words."

"...You people do realize that these are... the halls. The very public halls. Of the dorms. Right?"

Both Frank and Nico looked up like two children caught by their parents, looking up at a boy, probably also a first-year like them, with the wildest curls and almond eyes. He looked mostly amused as he poked his head out of his own dorm-room to look at them. Frank immediately let go of Nico, who hadn't expected that and found himself collapsing onto the ground. Glowering, Nico sat up and turned toward his best friend to bitch about being dropped like that, but Frank was way too busy blushing and trying to smooth his shirt and his hair down. Furrowing his brows, Nico turned from his best friend over toward the amused looking curly-haired boy.

"Sorry bout that", offered Frank sheepishly. "I'm Frank, this is Nico, we're first years."

"Leo! Leo Valdez. Nice to meet you. And it's okay. It just... looked a bit weird to walk into?"

Frank blushed even more. Nico furrowed his brows more intensely, narrowing his eyes on Frank, before they widened in realization. Frank thought the guy was _cute_! Frank! Frank had never had a crush before for as long as Nico had known him! Sure, Frank would be a mess about fictional characters, but never about like a boy or girl in their classes? Nico grinned to himself.

"Fra—ank. We wanted to go to Will, unless you want to... get to know... Leo... better?"

"Why is your voice doing this?", hissed Frank with a frown. "Stop doing that, it's weird."

"It's okay. Seems like we'll see each other again anyway, because we're all first years. And live in the same hall in the dorms", offered Leo with a smile. "See you later?"

"Yes", replied Frank just a bit too quickly and too eagerly. "I mean. Yeah, see you... later."

Nico snorted and snickered to himself all the way to Will's dorm-room, knocking rapidly. A blonde with glasses and an annoyed pinched look on his face opened the door. Glaring for a split-second, he stepped aside and decided that these two were not of interest to him so he returned to his room. Didn't matter, because as soon as the guy was gone, Nico had view on the blonde he had come for, Will and Cecil sitting on the couch with a dark-haired guy.

"Frank has a crush!", declared Nico as soon as they stepped into the dorm-room.

"Oh my god, we have been at this school for _two hours_ , how did he even have the _time_ -?", asked Cecil with a groan, shaking his head. "We like barely unpacked our stuff."

"I do _not_ have a crush!", exclaimed Frank red-faced. "I just—he looks cute. I just noticed that he looks cute and that is all, I don't even know him, I am not having a crush!"

Nico simply grinned at him broadly, teasingly, before flopping down on the couch with Will. He sighed, resting his head against Will's shoulder. Had it really only been two hours...?

" _He_ already challenged Jason Grace to a rivalry and accepted a rivalry-proposal from some guy named Jackson", declared Frank, nearly defensively, as he pointed at Nico.

"Well, seems like you both have been busy", grunted Will amused, patting Nico's head.

"He—ey, gotta establish who's gonna be top dog", declared Nico.

"That's a weird choice for a superhero-name", noted the stranger in the room.

"No, Jake", laughed Will and shook his head. "Not superhero-name, just his ridiculous life-goals."

"Don't call my life-goals ridiculous, Solace", warned Nico with a pout.

"Oh, sweetie, you want to take over the world. Other people are here like 'I want to join team x', or something – I'm here to become a good on-field medic for a superhero team", chuckled Will.

"...I gotta ask... how literal is 'taking over the world'...?", asked Jake worried.

"Yes, I have infiltrated Chiron High to become a supervillain", drawled Nico dryly.

"Would not be the first time", called the other blonde from the other room.

"Malcolm's right", declared Jake. "It happens more often than you'd think. Using the skills for the Dark Side, getting an insight into how heroes work."

"Okay, for the record, I do _not_ want to become a supervillain. I _am_ going to become one of the greatest heroes of our generation", declared Nico seriously.

Jake stared at him curiously for a second, like he was trying to see just how serious Nico was, before he laughed and nodded. "Okay, so you're going to be the interesting trouble kid this year."

"I think I resent that", grunted Nico with a glare. "I am going to do this."

/break\

Percy already loved his dorm-mates. Charles Beckendorf and Luke Castellan. Both gave that kind and caring energy off, like they immediately wanted to adopt their new first years. Luke had already promised to mentor them and help them with _anything_ they would need help with, while Beckendorf had promised to show them the workshop later on. Not that Percy had much talent on that department, but apparently Beckendorf was really enthusiastic about building gadgets and Percy knew there was going to be a basic class introduction into gadgetry for everyone, though many would end up majoring in it. There were _so many_ career choices – even beyond being an active fighter in spandex and a cape. Those who invented weapons and gadgets, designed costumes, tech experts, communicators, medics, so many more choices.

"Do you guys have any experience with heroism?", asked Luke curiously.

The four of them were laying sprawled out in their common room, Grover and Beckendorf on the couches and Luke and Percy on the ground, on the comfortable carpet, staring at the ceiling.

"No—ope", replied Percy. "Mom owns a bakery, dad's a teacher. The most heroic thing either of them ever did was when mom heimliched that one guy who choked on a muffin once."

"My family owns a gardening shop", said Grover. "I'm only here because of Percy, honestly. He can be very convincing. Me, I think gardening sounds much safer."

"What about you guys?", asked Percy eagerly, turning toward Luke a bit.

"I...", started Luke, with a faint, quirky smile. "Guess it were childhood delusions that drove me here, but I like the here where it got me." That got him an even more curious look from Percy. "Well, my dad, he ditched us when I was a baby. So, as a kid, I did what most kids in that situation, stuck in a shitty home, probably did. Imagine that dad was some grand superhero, out there, saving the world, keeping me out of it for my own safety's sake so no villain would seek me. That was, of course, a load of bullshit, he was just not interested in having a family, you know. Tracked him down a few years ago, he's a mailman. Just... a regular Joe who didn't want to be stuck with a mentally ill woman and a crying toddler. But at that point, that image of following my imaginary father's footsteps was so established in my mind that I decided to go through with it regardless. Maybe to spite the real man, maybe to outdo the fictional version."

Percy raised his eyebrows at that. He couldn't even _imagine_ what that must have been like, to be abandoned by a parent, left in an unstable, unsafe home. He's never really thought about how lucky he was with his normal, average parents who loved him so very dearly and were a picture-perfect American family. Closing his mouth slowly, he laid back down, hands folded on his stomach.

"Don't look so sad, you look like a drowned kitten", huffed Luke. "It's okay. I just like to start off on the right food. Beckendorf, it's your turn before the first years cry."

"My dad designs weapons and gadgets for superheroes", offered Beckendorf with a small smile. "I always admired him for it and helped him out, figured that'd be... what I want in my life too."

"Wait. Beckendorf. Like BD Gadgets?", asked Percy excitedly and sat up.

"That's the one. Gotta take over the family business at one point", confirmed Beckendorf.

Percy whistled impressed. Being as obsessed with superheroes as he was, of course did he know _the_ biggest supplier of all things a superhero needed around their wits and powers.

"You are gonna _love_ his girlfriend", declared Luke with a smug grin. "Wait until you put one and one together when you meet her. Say, where _is_ your lovely better half?"

"Probably fawning over her own first-years", grunted Beckendorf with a soft smile.

He looked _incredibly_ in love as he said that and Percy felt himself melting a bit, though now he did wonder what was so special about his dorm-mate's girlfriend. So he quickly sat up.

"Introduce me. I want to meet her", declared Percy.

It took Beckendorf half a second to be at the door, clearly pleased by any excuse to go and see his girlfriend. Well if that wasn't the kind of love Percy wanted! Curiosity piqued, even Grover got up to follow them. Percy grew more curious as they neared Annabeth's room. Beckendorf knocked and Grover and Percy exchanged a surprised look. Was Beckendorf dating the scary brunette...?

"Charlie!" The high-pitched voice was accompanied by a blonde jumping Beckendorf.

Her long curls bounced around as she hugged him and wrapped her legs around his waist, easily being carried by him. The tips of her hair were dyed an aggressively bright neon-pink. Beckendorf smiled brightly at her. Huh, so Beckendorf was dating the scary brunette's roommate.

"Hello, love", replied Beckendorf with a chuckle. "My roommates want to meet you? And I figured, check out your first-years. Percy, Grover, this is my girlfriend – Silena Beauregard."

Now Luke's words made more sense to Percy and he squeaked a little. "Wait, are you telling me that the heir to BD Gadgets and the heiress to BeaureGardian are dating? _Wow_."

BeaureGardian was _the_ most sought-after designer for costumes and armor, what protected the superhero. It went hand in hand with BD Gadget, really. Every great superhero got equipped by them. Percy himself planned on being equipped by them. His eyes sparkled eagerly.

/break\

"Kay. House-rules: Go buy earplugs. We fuck. A lot. If you're bothered by that, that is absolutely not our problem because we are your seniors and this is our home."

Both Nico and Frank exchanged a surprised look with their eyebrows raised. When they returned to their room, their dorm-mates had emerged. A tall Japanese guy and a lanky brunette white boy, very pale with freckles and apparently an attitude. He had just sat them down and opened like this.

"Uh... we... uh... We do not have problems with you being gay?", offered Frank awkwardly. "I'm bi, he's gay. But... can we please... uh... not walk in on you?"

"No promises on that", grunted the brunette dryly.

"Alabaster", interrupted his boyfriend exhausted. "I'm sorry about him. He's cranky because we had the whole dorm to ourselves for the summer. I'm Ethan Nakamura, this is Alabaster Torrington, welcome to Chiron High. We're going to be your seniors. If you have questions-"

"-Bother E and not me", interrupted Alabaster seriously. "I have no time to babysit you guys, I have my own little sister to babysit this year."

"It's okay, I will be you gay Obi-Wan", assured Ethan amused.

"I like this one", whispered Frank softly. "The other seems scary though."

"Clever boy", commented Alabaster dryly.

Ethan huffed, nudging his boyfriend a little. _This_ could... actually be the most exciting part for Nico, if he was being honest. Sure, he was out – to his family, at school, online. And he had Will, who was gay, and he had Frank, who was bi. But they were the same age, they were all three equally lost as they were, trying to make heads or tails of things, trying to educate themselves, trying to find out how to know if a boy was open to flirtation or not. They never had any queer older people in their lives – well, those two were only two years older than them too, but still, it felt like _so much_ seniority. And it was more than they ever had. An openly gay, seemingly happy _couple_? Amazing. Exciting. Nico wanted to get to know them, to befriend them, to learn from them, just to... talk to them. Which was stupid, he was here to become a superhero and _that_ should have him the most excited, but _this_? He hadn't seen this coming. This was new. Unexpected. Exciting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter, they're gonna get to show off a little, showing their powers to their classmates!

**Author's Note:**

> NEW FIC! And since I do already have a Nicercy right now, I figured... it's been a while since I gave the LittleBigThreesome a multi-chapter story. So, here you go - Jason, Nico and Percy as (future) superheroes!
> 
> Also, something a little bit different; Percy getting a happy childhood because no Gabe, only being raised by his loving parents. I figured the dual-identity thing would give that a nice spin, after all most heroes DO have a different persona to go with their superhero-alias too. ;D
> 
> Next chapter will have all three of our boys as cute, adorable children, because how could I not? I love writing them as kids and I want to give more insight into their upbringing.
> 
> As always, you can find my [updating schedule on my profile](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Takara_Phoenix/profile) \- and come visit me on tumblr at [takaraphoenix](https://takaraphoenix.tumblr.com/), I've been teasing this story over there for like a month before posting and I tend to do that sort of thing over there! ;)


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